The Aftermath
by MydnytAngel
Summary: yep you guessed it. another story to hold us over until season 2.
1. Chapter 1

Her screams pierced his ears from his position under her bedroom window and the scent of blood assaulted his nose as he ran inside. Elena was on her knees in the kitchen, screaming and Damon could see the pool of blood spilling around the counter in front of her. "Elena," he said, sharply as his sensitive ears started to hurt from her screams.

"Oh Damon," she whimpered latching onto him when he crouched down next to her.

Damon scooped her up and made his way to the living room, cradling her close to his chest. "I got you," he said, sitting on the couch. She was his first priority, to make sure that she was okay before he checked the rest of the house. How could things have changed so much in the last half hour since he had seen her? "What happened?"

She shook her head. "I just got home and I heard a noise," she whispered.

He chose to keep the fact that he had seen her a little while ago. And he didn't think this was the best time to bring up their kiss right now. "Can you call 911 for me?" he asked, holding her chin between his fingers. She looked scared and pale. She could give him a run for his money in the skin color department. This couldn't have been easy for her and he wished he could take away her pain. "Give them your address, and tell them you don't know what happened."

Elena nodded and he eased her off his lap. "I'm going to check the rest of the house," he said, heading up the single flight of the stairs. He found Jeremy passed out in his room, head phones blaring over his ears, but alive and unharmed. Where was Jenna? He went back downstairs to the crime scene in the kitchen and noticed a note scribbled on the fridge. Maybe Elena had interrupted whoever was here before they could do anymore damage.

"They're on their way," Elena said, from the doorway, the phone still clutched in her hand. Damon thought she was going to pass out and he struggled to figure out what he could do for her.

Damon pried the phone from her white fingers and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Jeremy's sleeping and Jenna is out," he said, leading her out to the front porch. No one liked John, but it couldn't be healthy to find your birth father murdered on the floor of your house.

If it was possible, Elena paled further and leaned over the banister to empty the contents of her stomach in the grass. Unsure of what else to do, Damon held her hair away from her face as she finished dry heaving, and he rubbed her back gently.

"Sorry," she whispered, wiping the fluid from her mouth.

"Nonsense," he said. The color still hadn't returned to her face and he continued to worry. "You should sit down." He was so used to seeing her in control and collected, but to see her like this, unnerved him a little. It wasn't like her.

Elena stared up into his bright blue hues. "Thanks for being here," she said, unshed tears in her eyes.

Once again he held her close to his chest, running his hands through her long locks. "Don't mention it, we're friends right?" He pressed a kiss to her sweaty hair as sirens blared in the background. "I can handle this. Then you and Jeremy will be staying with us."

"I don't think Jeremy will agree with that," she mumbled, turning her head against his chest.

"He has no choice," Damon said as the ambulance and police pulled in. He was about to move away from Elena but her clammy hand gripped his tightly and he wasn't about to tug his away from her. It wouldn't be safe for her here, not for anyone in her family. He knew Katherine was involved in this somehow, which meant that things were going to get a lot worse for Mystic Falls.


	2. Chapter 2

I know the first chapter was short and this one is a bit long, but I got carried away with some of the dialogue. Hope you like And I forgot to clarify, Jeremy didn't take pills in this story. It's just easier with him alive. There's angst in other places

Damon cradled a sleeping Elena close to him as he headed inside home with Jeremy close behind. He still hadn't been able to reach Stefan. "Make yourself at home Jeremy, seriously," he said, starting up the stairs. He chose the guestroom between his room and Stefan's room where he carefully deposited Elena on the bed. While the police were questioning her he had packed a bag for her and woken up Jeremy who packed as well. He was pretty sure he grabbed the things she would want and if not, he could make another trip. He stared at her face for a moment before pressing a kiss to her forehead, flinching when she stirred.

"Damon," she whispered. Crap. He just had to stay for another second and wake her up.

He knew he should leave, get as far away from her as he could. "How are you feeling?" he asked, sitting down next to her.

Her swollen eyes cracked open to meet his blue hues. "Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked. "This isn't like you. I mean, this super niceness isn't like you."

He stared at her for a moment, debating on what to say to her. He always kept his guard up and made sure no one saw deep inside him, but he didn't think now was the best time for him to be an arrogant bastard towards her. "You didn't like who I was before," he said simply. "Besides, now isn't the time for it. I can be an ass later for you."

Elena pushed herself up and faced him. "I like you for you Damon," she said. "We're friends remember?"

Damon sighed and got to his feet. So she kept reminding him that they were just friends. "You should get some sleep." It had been a very long night and he just wanted a strong drink and to go to bed. His life couldn't get any more like Gossip Girl or some of those other dumb shows on TV and he had had his fill of it tonight.

She climbed to her feet, making her way toward him. "What's wrong?" she asked, softly. "And don't tell me nothing."

God she was beautiful, even now her hair a tangled mess, her eyes swollen from crying, smudging the little make up she had put on earlier that day. "I can't do this right now," he said, folding his arms. It would take much to run downstairs away from her, but something in her eyes held him here. She knew him so well, better than anyone. When had he allowed a weak human to see his emotions? Oh yeah. When he fell in love with her. When he had done that, he still couldn't place, but he knew with unspoken clarity now that he was in love with her.

"What?" she asked, taking a step toward him, trying to close the distance he was purposely putting between them. "Are… are you mad at me?"

That was the dumbest thing he had ever heard in his life. "No of course not," he said, shaking his head. "Don't be obsurd." She did a lot of things that he couldn't understand and she certainly complicated things for his life, but he could never be mad at her.

"Then, what's wrong?" Elena asked again, her brows scrunching in confusion. "You know you can talk to me."

Under normal circumstances, yes he did know that. She knew things about him that no one else did, but this was something he did not want her to find out. "Not about this," he said, heading for the door. Every cell in his body wanted to tell her how he felt, it would make his head and heart not hurt so bad, but he knew that down the road, his heart would get broken. Stefan would make sure of that.

She ran after him, placing her slender body between him and the exit. "That's not fair," she said. "We always talk, Damon. Why are you pushing me away now?"

It hurt to see the confusion on her face, like he didn't trust her or didn't want to talk to her. "It hurts to be this close to you, Elena," he said, backing away from her. The faint smell of her perfume or her shampoo whichever it was, was assaulting his senses, making it hard for him to think and do the right think right now. He had just crossed that line, and she wouldn't drop the subject now until she had all the information.

She stared at him with wide innocent eyes and he could see the gears ticking into place. "Isobel was right," she whispered. "You're in love with me."

Damon's gaze flickered to the floor and his hands tightened on his biceps. "Don't make a thing out of it," he mumbled. He might as well have a shovel, digging himself deeper and deeper into the hole that he was creating.

"Damon, it is a thing," she said, taking two steps toward him. "You should have told me."

"Because we share tons of secrets with each other," he said angrily. And times like this where her persistence which he loved in any other circumstance, made him crazy. He should have ran when he had the chance. "Why Elena? Why should I have told you? For you tell me that you could never love me? Why should I have my heart broken?" For her to tell him how much she loved Stefan and would never leave him. He wasn't an idiot. This was a train wreck waiting to happen.

Elena bit her lip. "I'm sorry Damon," she whispered. "I wish that I felt the same way about you so you wouldn't hurt anymore."

And Damon felt a little piece of his heart heal just a little at her words. He opened his mouth to make a remark, but he was cut off when Stefan murmured her name from the doorway. He rolled his eyes when she nearly jumped out of her skin but he moved around them to leave the room. He needed a drink. The little piece of his heart that she just healed didn't cover up the rest of his heart that was aching. He'd need a lot of alcohol for that.

Elena frowned at Damon's back but she faced her boyfriend. "Hi," she said, softly, as she folded her arms. Damon's words were still tumbling around in her head. He loved her. He really did. She had been trying to convince Stefan that there was nothing with Damon for weeks, but now… she couldn't ignore the ache in her heart, knowing that Damon was hurting. But it was oh so obvious now, and things made so much more sense.

"Jeremy told me what happened," Stefan said, staring at her with his sad brown eyes. "Are you okay?"

Elena shrugged. "I'm shook up, but I'm fine," she said. If murder was legal she would have killed him herself. He was a bastard that gave her up then tried to kill her boyfriend his brother. She didn't think she could ever feel anything other than hate for the man.

Stefan sighed. "Elena, I heard what you said," he said softly. "About wanting to love Damon."

Of course he did. "That's not how I meant it," she said. "He deserves to be happy. To have someone love him and not rip his heart out." Someone not her and not Katherine. But she knew that no one would accept him like she did, or understand him. Everyone was judgemental and cruel. He'd never be happy.

"Except he's chosen you," Stefan said, sadly.

"And has once again had his heart broken," she said, shaking her head. "You could show a little compassion for your brother. He doesn't have half the things you do." The last thing she wanted to deal with right now was Stefan's jealousy. She could only try to convince him so many times that Damon was a good person and that they were just friends.

"Are you serious right now?" he asked. "You're taking his side."

"It's not about sides, Stefan," she said. "He's my friend."

"Maybe you shouldn't be friends anymore," Stefan said. "He's a bad influence with the flirting and other things."

"Why are you being like this?" she whispered. She couldn't understand why Stefan couldn't let this go. What was she doing wrong? "I've done everything I can to convince you that he is just my friend and you still don't believe me. Do you not trust me?"

"It's him I don't trust Elena," Stefan said, rubbing her arms gently.

"Damon wouldn't force himself on me," Elena said, and the thought made her sick. The thought of Damon ever hurting her in anyway made her sick. He was careful now. He didn't hurt people, especially her. "He's my best friend Stefan. You have to understand that. My best friend and…" she paused to swallow as she stared at the floor between them. "I'm his best friend, his only friend. He trusts me and talks to me about things. I'm all he has since he can't rely on his own brother."

"That's not fair Elena," he said. "I saved him from the fire."

"You're right. You did," Elena said. "And I would have if you didn't." She knew she would have risked her life to save Damon, she almost did if Bonnie hadn't grabbed her arm. "I told you time and again how much I love you, even after all the secrets you've kept from me; even when you were locked in a cell because you came after me and hurt other people. You were all I thought about Stefan. And Damon was here with me, helping me through it. Yes we got close, but I had no one else." She backed away from him and rubbed her face as tears stung the corners of her eyes. "I told Damon to stop with the looks and the flirting but that won't make a difference if you're never going to offer a little trust."

"Trust Damon?" Stefan asked raising an eyebrow. "That'll never happen."

Elena felt the cracks in her heart grow as it started to break apart. "That's why Damon talks to me and not to you. Because I do trust him, with my life, with my family's lives. And since I gave a little, I got a little and he trusts me. No matter how much I betrayed him for you," she whispered as a lone tear escaped her eye. She pushed passed her boyfriend and descended the stairs, making a beeline for the door, however in a blur, Damon was in front of her. "Oh god," she whispered, wiping her tears quickly. "Must you always do that?"

The infamous smirk that was always in place on his lips dropped when he saw her swollen eyes. "It's not safe for you or Jeremy to leave," he said, folding his arms over his chest. "Even if you're running from my brother."

"Great," she mumbled taking a step towards the kitchen then pausing to face him. "Can I ask you something?" She knew she was going to be stepping on some dangerous ground with her question and since she was stuck here with both of them, she might as well try to sort it out to make the situation manageable for everyone.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "I suppose you could," he answered. "I may or may not have an answer for you."

That was typical Damon answer. Elena bit her lip and leaned her shoulder on the doorframe. "How come you haven't been doing all kinds of things to make me fall in love with you?" she asked softly. "Why haven't you tried to convince me that you're the better choice for me?" Stefan was doing everything in his power to make sure she stayed away from Damon and to make sure that she only loved him. Damon hadn't done anything to try to persuade her from Stefan.

"Why should I do that?" he asked, tilting his head. "Because Stefan is trying to make you believe that I'm a horrible person?" He took a step toward her. "And he's right. I've done a lot of horrible things and I'm not sorry about a single one, because I don't have to be. And if I had things my way, you wouldn't have found out about my feelings."

"I don't understand Damon," she said softly. "Don't you want to be with me?" And the line between friends and something else became blurred at the point. She sounded like a lovesick school girl who had lost her first crush.

His face hardened more, if that was even possible. "Can we not do this?" he asked, moving around her to the kitchen.

Elena felt like she was going to burst into tears once more and she noticed her brother staring at her. "What?" she asked. She was turning into a regular cry baby with the drama.

Jeremy sighed and made his way toward her. "So I'm still mad at you but I figured that I'd give you some advice," he said, folding his arms. "I don't have super hearing so I don't know what you fought with Stefan over, but by the look on Damon's face it involved him. I saw Damon with you today Elena, how much he cares about you. But you're in love with Stefan."

"I know," she whispered, leaning against the wall.

"And he might be a total ass on the outside, but Damon still has feelings," he said. "You've made it more than clear that you're with Stefan. Why should Damon beat his head against a brick wall over something that won't happen? If you're not in love with him, let him get over it."

"He's my friend," she said, then winced. It didn't sound right to her ears to just call him a friend.

"I know that," Jeremy said. "Damon knows that too. Don't you think he'd rather have you as a friend then to push his feelings on you and have you hate him?"

"Oh god," she said, meeting her brother's eyes. Jeremy was right. Damon would never want to lose her, so he had kept his feelings a secret so she wouldn't have to hurt him. "I'm such a dumbass."

Jeremy shrugged. "You dragged me into this love triangle," he said. "And if I'm going to be stuck here too I might as well try to keep it to a minimum."

She smiled a little and wiped her face trying to calm down before she took a deep breath and headed into the kitchen.


	3. Chapter 3

Elena's heart was still hammering in her chest when she paused in doorway of the kitchen and she gazed at his back while his attention was focused on some unknown force out the window. "I'm sorry Damon," she said softly. "I wasn't trying to push you." The last thing she wanted was for him to hate her.

He turned to face her with his mask of indifference. "It's fine," he said. "We're friends aren't we? Just leave it at that and no one gets hurt."

Except for you she almost said. She cared about Damon, she really did, probably more than she should and it broke everything in her to see him like this. Stefan was making it super easy for her to get close to Damon and to care about him. Stefan was more concerned about keeping her away from his brother rather than worried about her. God, she really was just like Katherine and with that thought, she turned on her heel and headed up to the guest room Damon had chosen for her. She collapsed on the bed and stared at the ceiling trying to figure out how to fix the mess she had made of their lives."Go away," she called to whoever knocked on her door. It didn't matter who it was, she did not want to talk to anyone.

"Elena," Stefan said sadly. "Can I please talk to you?"

She didn't know what made her so angry to hear Stefan at her door but she flew off the bed and swung the door open and she could have punched him in the jaw. "No Stefan," she said. "I'm done talking. I'm sick and tired of your hovering and your jealousy. You obviously don't trust me or care about me. You only care about keeping me away from your brother. You spend all your time making sure that I don't get too close to him, and you should be trying to be close to me. I'm just a Katherine replacement to you, so just… leave me alone." She slammed the door in his face, and leaned her forehead against the door as she struggled to hold in her sobs. She had never imagined the day that she would end things with Stefan, but that didn't make it hurt any less. Tears leaked out of her eyes, sliding down the familiar path of her cheeks.

"Elena…" Stefan pleaded.

A pitiful whimper escaped her throat and she headed to the joining bathroom. Her knees wobbled and she slid to the floor, leaning against the closed and locked door before pulling her knees to her chest. Gut wrenching sobs tore through her body as she pleaded with the earth to swallow her whole, to make her life easier. She jumped when she heard a knock on the door. "Go away Stefan," she said, into her knees.

"I'm hurt Elena that you don't know the difference," Damon said from behind the wood and she could practically hear him smirking. "We don't even look alike." He paused for a moment. "Are you okay?"

His concerned voice touched her but didn't ease her aching heart. "I just want to be alone," she whispered with a sniffle. It was nice that he came to check on her, but it just wouldn't do any good right now.

"Okay then," he said, and she heard shuffling from the room and then silence.

She thought Damon would have tried harder to get her to open the door and it bothered her that he would just leave, and after what had happened, who could blame him. She climbed to her feet and splashed cold water on her face trying before pressing her eyes to a towel. With a deep breath, she unlocked the bathroom door and peeked out, surprised to see Damon sitting on the floor next to the door. "Oh," she said with a blush. "I thought you left." She was secretly relieved that he had stayed with her, offering her what little comfort her could through the door.

Gracefully he got to his feet and tilted his head. "Want to talk?"

"Because you didn't hear me just chew my boyfriend up and spit him out?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. She cursed vampire hearing every day. Even the faintest of whispers could be heard in a house full of vampires.

Damon shrugged. "I asked if you wanted to talk, not what happened," he pointed out. She felt another tear make its way out of her sore eyes but his thumb easily wiped it away. "No crying. Stefan will brood for awhile and come apologize and make up for being a jerk."

"That won't matter," she whispered softly her gaze shifting away from his. What happened with her and Stefan wasn't fixable, not anymore. It was going to be super hard to be in the same house with him.

"Let's watch a movie," Damon suddenly suggested and grabbed the remote before flopping on the bed. He scrolled through the options on the screen and Elena sprawled out next to him. It was a strange gesture from Damon, but it worked for her. He was trying to distract her from her fight with Stefan, and she knew he had heard every word. His feet appeared beside her as he leaned back against her headboard, playfully moving her feet next to him. It was innocent enough, they weren't touching or anything so there was no reason for her to feel guilty. So why did she?

About a half hour into the movie, Damon was sitting next to her stroking her back and she had turned the movie down to tell him about Stefan. How unhappy she was and how she didn't know how to fix things with Stefan, or with him. She rested her cheek on her arm as she stared at the wallpaper on the far wall and tried to keep the lump out of her throat, but it was hard. She rolled over to stare at him, amazed he had been quiet the whole time, letting her get her feelings out. "You're too sweet to me," she said, rubbing his arm. "It's not fair." She didn't deserve this from him, but she couldn't bring herself to ask him to leave. He shouldn't have to listen to her lover's spat with Stefan.

Damon smile and leaned his weight on his hand as he leaned over her. "I'm irresistible, I already know," he said.

Elena reached up to stroke his cheek. "I'll leave it at that," she said in a soft voice. He was so full of himself, but he didn't need anyone's approval. He didn't care what people thought of him, and even though he loved her, he didn't check his ego at the door. She loved his confidence and she was sure every other woman on the planet that didn't know the truth would fall at his feet as well.

His eyes stared at her for a long moment. "Elena, you're killing me," he whispered. She could see the shift in his eyes from the effect she was having on him. She could also hear a voice in her head telling her how wrong it would be to push this with Damon, how many people would get hurt. But she ignored that voice and just let her heart lead her for once.

"Why?" she asked, her thumb caressing her lower lip. She knew she should stop, that this wasn't right, but her hand still wrapped around the back of his neck and tugged him down to her lips. The spark that lit inside of her was intense and she had never felt anything like that before as she deepened the kiss, running her tongue over his lip.

Her fingers tightened in his hair as he pulled back. "Elena," he said, his forehead resting against hers. "I can't do this; just be your rebound. God, I can't have you ripped away from me."

She was shaking from his kiss and the reality of what he said rocked her to her core. "I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I wasn't… I wasn't toying with you." Tears once again sprung to her eyes. "Please don't hate me Damon. I didn't…" She couldn't even find the right words to say to him. She was trying to tell him she wasn't trying to hurt him to make this a game. She had wanted to kiss him.

Damon placed a finger over her lips. "Shhh," he said. "None of that, Elena. Just get some sleep. You had a long night." He stroked her cheek gently. "We can worry about this later."

"Will you stay until I fall asleep?" she asked, sitting up next to him. That was such a dumb thing for her to ask, but she wanted to be close to him.

"Sure," he said, moving off the bed and pulling back the covers to allow her to slide beneath them. She was more than pleased when he sat next to her, staring into nothing as his hand stroked through her long locks. She curled up towards him, inhaling his scent as her eyes fluttered shut, allowing her some much needed sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Elena rubbed her eyes as she finally crawled out of bed, but she felt rested. It had been the best night's sleep she had gotten in months. She was mildly disappointed to find Damon not next to her, but she did tell him to stay with her just until she fell asleep. Her feelings were a jumbled mess, her heart still raw from her break up with Stefan. It didn't help that he was still in the house, but she was going to have to get over it for now. This was the right decision; it was just going to take a little time to get used to was all. She could do it though. She was strong. She made her way to the kitchen, surprised to find both brothers present. She didn't dare meet Stefan's gaze, but she did smile at Damon while he placed his blood in the microwave.

"Morning Elena," he said. He kept his voice neutral, no hope or any other emotion and she couldn't blame him. He had no idea where he stood with her, and she knew he didn't want to have his heart broken again.

"Good morning," she answered, pulling a Snapple from the fridge and decided to bring up the subject that was on everyone's mind. "So what do we do since we're under house arrest?" She spent a lot of time here already, but it just didn't feel right knowing she couldn't go home to her own house. She felt like she was a prisoner here.

"I'm going to go look for Katherine," Damon said simply. "Who knows what she has up her sleeve."

"You can't go alone," Elena said, taking a step toward him. She had seen the damage Katherine could do at first hand, and she was a lot older then Damon. And maybe he still loved the vampire. There would be no hope for Mystic Falls if Damon teamed up with the woman, but he was different now. Elena knew that without question that he'd never betray her like that.

"I have to," he said, shaking his head. "I'm the only one remotely strong enough to take her."

Stefan snorted. "Right," he said, folding his arms. "Or you could easily fall back under her spell and tear up the town with her."

"Damon wouldn't do that," Elena snapped, immediately coming to his defense. "He's over Katherine." Things like this made her really angry at Stefan and his childishness. When was he going to grow up and let this thing with Damon go?

"Oh I forgot," Stefan said. "Because he has you."

"Hey!" Damon said, angrily as he moved towards his brother. "She doesn't deserve that. She didn't do anything."

"That's why you slept with her," Stefan growled.

"That's none of your business," Elena said. It was so nice to know that Stefan thought of her as a world class ho and she just slept with anyone. She had ended things only the night before. She didn't move on that quick.

Jeremy raised an eyebrow from the doorway and gently tugged on Damon's arm. "Come on man," he said. "Come have a drink before your head explodes."

Damon allowed the teenager to guide him to the living room, where he did go straight for the liquor. He had some weird relationship with Jeremy, the kind where they weren't friends but they had an understanding between each other. "Thanks," he said as his hand curled around the glass before he downed the contents in one gulp.

Jeremy shrugged as folded his arms. "We all heard Elena last night," he said. "She has some issues with Stefan, but whatever she does is her decision. People who usually get in the way of that, regret it later. Stefan will have to deal with her choice, whether she's sleeping with you or not."

"Elena and I are just friends," Damon said, pouring another glass of straight vodka.

"Just friends in the sense that neither of you admits it," Jeremy said as Elena joined them, apologizing to Damon for Stefan's actions.

Damon shrugged and took another swig of his drink. "It's fine." It was always going to be this way with Stefan. Stefan was always going to be jealous and insecure. They were just going to have to live with it. Despite his feelings for Stefan, he knew that they needed him to keep everyone safe. And if it made Elena happy, he would try to deal with his brother.

"No Damon," Elena said. "It's not okay that he treats you like that."

"Elena," Jeremy said in a warning tone.

Damon could see Elena clench her jaw as she struggled not to lose her temper. "So Jeremy and I are stuck here?" He was glad she dropped the subject. There was too much going on to start analyzing the small stuff. Despite the changes in the last twenty four hours, he still didn't know where he stood with Elena and the longer they dwelled on it, the more he would get his hopes up and he couldn't afford that.

He finished his drink before he sighed. "I don't have a plan yet Elena," he said. "She could murder everyone in this town and blame it on you. I just wasn't prepared for this." For years he had imagined his reunion with Katherine. But he never thought it'd be to kill her.

"What can I do?" she asked.

"I don't know!" Damon flared in frustration, causing her jump. God did she always have to play twenty questions? He didn't have all the damn answers she always needed to have. He wasn't in control of this situation and he hated it. He was always one step ahead of everyone and now he was running blind.

"Sorry," Elena said, taking a step away from him.

His hand shot out to grab her wrist gently. "No Elena… I didn't mean to snap at you," he said, his thumb caressing the inside of her wrist. Her wide eyes nearly broke his heart. He had never yelled at her like that, ever, so he knew he had startled her.

Jeremy snorted. "Friends my ass," he muttered, showing himself upstairs.

Elena stared at the back of her brother for a moment as her eyes came to settle on Damon's. "This is really bad isn't it?" she asked, making no attempt to pull her hand away.

But Damon severed the bond and nodded. "Yeah," he answered, collapsing on the couch. "I never planned on her coming back. And now she's already toyed with me, fit me into this big plan of hers."

"What do you mean?" she asked, sitting on the cushion next to him.

Damon paused, and debated on answering her. The night couldn't get any worse, so it couldn't hurt to be honest with her. "After Stefan rescued me, I went to tell Jeremy about Anna," he said. "And I ran into you on the porch when I left. Only it wasn't you obviously." The muscle in his jaw tightened almost to the point of hurting. Maybe he shouldn't have brought this up.

"You can't tell the difference?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

His eyes pierced hers. "Vervain will do that to you," he said. "Under normal circumstances, it'd be no comparison." There were so many differences between them, that you'd be a food not to see them. He was still angry at himself for letting Katherine string him along like that. All the time he put into keeping his emotions in check, and Katherine had ripped the down with a few sweet words.

Elena stared at him for a moment. "What aren't you telling me?" she asked. "What happened?"

"She kissed me," he said, his gaze shifting to somewhere other than her face. She was going to kill him, he could feel the waves coming off her as he felt her distance herself from him. She had still been with Stefan and he had stepped over his boundries with her. He had promised himself that he was going to try really hard to honor her wishes and the kiss with Katherine proved he had no self control around her. He hated that bitch and he was going to kill her.

Her eyes widened and she stood on shaky legs before backing away from him. "You kissed her?" she whispered.

"I thought she was you," Damon said, getting to his feet. "She's very good at manipulation." What kind of argument could he give her? And why did he feel like he had to feel guilty about this? It's not like had proclaimed himself Elena's.

Elena felt like someone was squeezing her heart as she turned on her heel and raced upstairs. She locked the door to Damon's room, along with the joining bathroom and ran her hands through her hair nervously. It was happening all over again.

"Elena?" Damon asked from the hall. "You know I can easily pick this."

Tears blurred her vision as she backed away from the door. "Go away," she whimpered. She wiped her tears angrily but it was no use. They wouldn't stop coming.

"You're crying," he said in a soft voice. "I'm not going to leave." And she could hear the tinkering in the door knob. It was seconds before the door was opening slowly and Damon rose to his feet. She could do little but start up into his gorgeous face that was masked with worry. "What's wrong?" He closed the door behind him and turned the lock in place before taking a step toward her.

"No!" Elena screamed, holding up her hands. "I'm not Katherine."

Damon froze. "What?" he asked. "Elena I know that. I just told you that I was weak when she kissed me. It's not even a competition. And you were still with Stefan anyways. It's not like it meant anything." Not when he found out anyway.

Choked sobs escaped her lips and she shook her head. "I don't want you to love me," she whimpered, her back colliding with the far wall.

His face fell immediately. "I know that too," he said, softly. "That's why I didn't want you to find out." This he was prepared for, but that didn't make it hurt any less. He knew that deep down she didn't want him to have feelings for her.

Her arms wrapped around her middle. "I'm just like her," she whispered. "Hurting both you and Stefan. I don't want to be like her Damon."

Then the pieces all fit together as realization dawned on his face and he closed the distance between them slowly. "Elena," he said, lifting her tear filled eyes to his. "Listen to me. You are not like Katherine. I promise you. You're and good and caring and you have the biggest heart I've ever seen. Katherine made me a monster, and you make me want to be a better man. You're nothing like her." He sighed and dropped his hands from her face. "I tried not to love you, I really did. It just happened with you being around so much."

"And now one of you is heartbroken because of me," she said softly. "I had to choose between you and Stefan." She sniffled a little as she once again made an attempt to wipe her tears.

"Stefan did that on his own," he said. "It's just a coincidence that things were developing with us."

"You're a big factor for me breaking up with Stefan," she said, moving around him to sit on his bed. "I mean he had a right to be jealous, because you were definitely stepping beyond your friendly boundries."

"Yes I was probably was," he said. "But I genuinely liked you and enjoyed your company Elena. So if you wanted to just be friends, I was fine with that. I'm just a natural flirt. And you make it fun. It was just going to take me some getting used to… you know with the personal space."

She blushed but a genuine smile appeared on her face. "I just didn't want to be like her and turn you two against each other," she said folding her hands in her lap. "I thought things were getting a little better between you guys."

Damon thought about her words for a minute before he joined her. "I told you what happened with Stefan," he said. "It wasn't just Katherine. And it's how I am how I am. Once we were turned, I was on my own. I hated Stefan for making me this and all I wanted was Katherine back. So I did what I had to do to be a powerful vampire. Can't afford to be weak." For a moment he didn't say anything. "Can't afford to feel emotions. I know you want to fix it but you can't. There's just too much damage there to ever be rebuilt."

"I don't believe that," she said. "Despite what both of you say, neither of you hates the other. On numerous occasions you could have let him die, and he could have let you die. But you didn't." She chewed on her lip for a moment. "It was hard to break up with Stefan," she admitted. "Something I had been debating with since we locked him up. Just didn't want to hurt him, but now that I have, I just feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders."

"Love isn't supposed to be like that. The lies, the secrets, the sneaking," Damon said with a shake of his head. "I mean, you have to make sacrifices for each other for it to work, and dating a vampire isn't the easiest thing in the world to begin with. It shouldn't be filled with the rest of the drama."

"Who would have thought that Damon Salvatore was such an expert on love," she said, bumping her shoulder with his. They shared a laugh for a moment and she got serious. "So you really have no thoughts on the Katherine thing?"

He shook his head. "Not a one," he said. "I'll have to do some poking around, find her before she does anymore damage."

Elena bit her lip. "Just be careful," she said.

He grinned. "I'll be fine," he said. "And you'll you be safe here. You and Jeremy both. So I better not find you wandering around town looking for me."

She got to her feet and rubbed her hands down her jeans. "It'll be so much fun. My brother who hates me and my ex who acts like a three year old," she said her voice dripping with sarcasm. "But I promise I won't wander off after you."

Damon chuckled and got to his feet as well. "I think you can handle it. Play on the computer or whatever it is teen girls do these days."

"You're hilarious," she said. "Just hurry back please."

"Just keep your phone on," he said, kissing her lips softly before leaving the room.

Elena shuddered when she was alone. What was she getting herself into? She knew she had feelings for Damon, but that didn't stop her from being scared. Could she really handle him and his ways?


	5. Chapter 5

The pounding against her temples was enough to make Elena groan. She tried to rub the sides of her head but she quickly discovered her arms were secured above her head. Her eyes fluttered rapidly, trying to focus her vision. The last thing she remembered was having a bad fight with Stefan and running to the front porch for some air. Everything after that was very blurry.

"Elena?"

Her heart jumped as she turned her head in the direction of his voice. "Damon?" she asked in confusion. The room was dimmed, but enough light was coming through that she could see him chained to the wall. "Where are we?" Some of the tension had eased from her muscles knowing that Damon was with her, but at the same time, that meant he wasn't looking for her. That was cause for some concern.

"No where good," he said, shaking his head. "Not sure how they got you unless you stepped outside." He raised an eyebrow and she could see the disappointment etched in his face.

She had the decency to blush and look away from him. "I had a fight with Stefan," she mumbled. "And I wasn't thinking when I went outside."

Damon sighed. "Chains are enchanted with vervain," he said, not bothering to ask her about her fight with Stefan. He knew it was about him and his relationship with Elena. "And I'm pretty sure Katherine is behind this."

"Shall I give you a cookie?" a feminine voice chimed in. "For being such a smart vampire."

Damon growled as Katherine finally came into view to stand by Elena. "What do you want Katherine?" he asked, trying to sound bored. The similarities were enough to make someone stare in wonder, but Damon had no trouble seeing the difference. He didn't know how he couldn't have noticed the first time around.

"Well I couldn't have this human taking my boys away," she answered. "You know I don't like my things touched."

"You left them," Elena said then whimpered when the back of Katherine's hand met the side of her cheek. Damon bit the inside of his cheek to keep from snarling at his maker, trying to decipher her intentions.

"She's feisty," Katherine said with an evil grin. "I can't wait to have fun with her." And she turned on her heel, leaving them alone once more.

"You okay?" Damon asked gently. Her jaw was already a pinkish color and it was starting to swell. Yeah he definitely was the better choice for her. Now she was going to die because of him.

"I'll live," she answered, shifting her arms. Her jaw hurt like a bitch and she was surprised it wasn't broken, but her arms were hurting the most. "I'm in big trouble aren't I?" Everything in her body was telling her that this was going to be a very nasty ride, one she probably wouldn't live through.

"Elena," he said softly. "I know what she's capable of. She makes me look like a saint. If she's not going to kill you, she's going to make you wish she had. Hopefully Stefan is on his way to save the day." There was a slight ache in his upper jaw reminding him it had been too long since he had fed. He had more control than Stefan, but a starving vampire, no matter how much practice, couldn't always turn down human blood.

Elena bit her lip and tried not to cry as the numbness spread up her arms. She had put everyone at risk just by allowing her emotions to get the better of her. Now she was going to die a slow and painful death, and she was sure that awful things were going to happen to Damon as well. And the ache in her heart increased.

Elena jumped when the door opened and a man came in. A million thoughts ran through her head and her heart nearly stopped but he merely walked by her. She craned her neck to see him working a bench behind her as Katherine came in. A shiver slicked over her spine as Katherine approached her. She remembered a lot of the things that Damon had taught her about vampires and how they fed off of their victims fear, but she couldn't control it.

"This is going to be so much fun," Katherine said happily as she picked a wicked looking knife. Elena could feel the knife against the skin of her back but it was cutting through the material of her shirt instead of her flesh.

"What kind of sick game are you playing Katherine?" Damon growled as the chains rattled while he forced himself to his feet. Elena knew that he would never be able to break them and get to her, so he had little choice but to watch. The sinking feeling in her stomach nearly made her sick and she knew this was going to be ugly.

"One especially for you," Kat answered running her cold hands over Elena's ribs.

Elena's tried not to whimper as the other woman's hands moved over her breasts, surprisingly gentle.

Damon's eyes turned red as he continued to pull at his restraints. "Katherine… I swear to god…"

Katherine's sharp nails sliced through the skin of Elena's chest causing the girl to scream in pain. "When are you going to learn Damon?" she asked as Elena trembled against her. "You belong to me and you're little pet is going to pay the price."

Suddenly Elena collapsed to the floor, the blood rushing back into her arms as she struggled to move. Her arms were like jelly as she tried to rest her weight on them and cover herself. Blood splattered her hands as it dripped from the wound Katherine had inflicted and she knew that her blood was going to have a serious impact on Damon. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the other man in the room move over to Damon and release him from the cuffs.

"One false move Damon and I'll kill her," Katherine said. "Now…"

Elena huddled against the cold concrete wall as the air began to crackle around her but she barely noticed. She was so tired and cold and she had no energy to move. If she didn't move, it didn't hurt as much. There was a god awful scream from upstairs as the door crashed open causing her to jump and clench her eyes shut. A hand fell upon her shoulder and she couldn't help but leap away from it.

"Elena?" Bonnie asked softly.

"Bonnie?" she whimpered, opening her eyes to see the familiar face of her friend. "You're here." Bonnie was here, she had saved her from Katherine.

Bonnie wrapped something around her bare shoulders, cover the cuts and bruises along her naked body. "Katherine's dead," she said. "Let's get you home." Elena instantly recognized Stefan's scent from the jacket as her fingers curled in the fabric.

Elena noticed Stefan standing behind Bonnie with a horrified expression as he glanced back and forth between her and Damon, whose eyes never landed on her. Damon looked horribly broken as he sat on the floor, showing no signs that his injuries were bothering him. But his chest was caked in blood, his face a color collection of blue and purple. She knew Katherine had broken some of his ribs as well, not to mention his lack of feeding. "K," she whispered, allowing Bonnie to help her to her feet. However, her knees buckled from exhaustion and she used Bonnie as support to keep from falling to the floor.

Stefan slowly approached her, trying not to startle her. "Elena," he said softly. "I can carry you."

Elena shook her head as she kept her eyes on the dirty floor and Bonnie's arm tightened around her waist. "I got her," Bonnie said glancing at Damon.

Stefan nodded and approached his brother, crouching down to help Damon to his feet. The older vampire swayed on his feet and it when he didn't object to Stefan's arm around his own waste, Bonnie knew something was very wrong. Damon never asked for help from anyone and hardly ever accepted it, with the possibility of Elena. But she led them out of the basement, stepping over the carnage she had left.

Elena sat in the back seat of the car as Bonnie held her hand. Her eyes stared at the back of Damon's head, taking in his blood encrusted hair. Every cell in her body wanted to touch him and make sure he was okay, but things would never be the same between them. And it broke her heart.

The ride home was short and Bonnie helped Elena inside and it was a long painful trip upstairs to the bathroom. Elena closed the door behind her, locking her friend in Damon's room, and she pulled Stefan's jacket around her tightly. Tears blurred her vision as she stumbled forward a few steps. Her arms wrapped around her middle as she slid to the floor and gut wrenching sobs tore through her.

Damon made a beeline for the kitchen once he was inside and tore into his blood supply. He felt sick, horrified. For the first time since becoming a vampire he felt a very strong urge to end his existence. He drained the contents of the first back quickly and started on the second one. Once that one was finished he slowed down to allow his body to absorb the nutrients. He could feel his bones start to heal themselves, but it would be a process, even for him.

"Damon?" Stefan asked from the doorway. "What happened?"

"What do you think?" Damon asked blandly as he stared at his brother with red eyes. "Katherine tortured us. End of story."

Stefan closed the distance between them, resting his hand on his brother's back. "Damon," he said, softly. "I know something bad happened. We did everything we could do get to you."

"I know," Damon said staring at the tile of the counter. "Just wasn't fast enough." To say he was surprised when Stefan slid a hand around his shoulders would have been an understatement, but he made no comment.

"We may have done a lot of things to each other," Stefan said. "But you're still my brother and I'm here for you."

"Thanks," Damon said as his ears picked up the mistakable sound of Elena crying upstairs. The sound ripped him apart. He wouldn't blame her if she never wanted to see him, much less talk to him ever again. He had no desire to cause her anymore pain.

"You should go," Stefan said, taking a step back. "She needs you."

"Trust me," Damon said as the noise died down from upstairs. "I'm the last one Elena needs right now." His eyes stared out the window, looking at nothing in particular as his mind tried to suffocate him. He hated feelings all these emotions, especially for a human, but he couldn't stop them from coming. She had given him every reason to try to be better and it had all been ripped away by Katherine.

Bonnie screamed Stefan's name and in a blur he was gone with Damon following slowly.

"What's wrong?" Stefan asked.

"Elena," Bonnie said with unshed tears in her eyes. "She's not answering me and the shower's not running."

Damon reluctantly came to stand behind his brother as Stefan easily twisted the bathroom knob until the lock gave way. He could make out Elena's huddled form against the side of the tub, her eyes staring into space. He flinched when she cried out as Stefan touched her shoulder and his fists clenched. He watched as she tried to scramble away from his brother that she was in love with not days before begging for him not to hurt her anymore. He sighed in defeat. "You two should go downstairs," he said simply as Elena tried to press herself more into the tiled wall.

Bonnie stared at Damon for a long moment taking in the haunted look that mirrored the one in Elena's eyes. "Come on Stefan," she said nodding. "I think Damon can do this."

Damon kept his eyes on Elena as they slowly left and he made his way towards her slowly. He sat down on the mat in front of the tub, ignoring the pain that shot through his ribs. "Elena," he said, softly. "You're safe now." Her eyes landed on his and they immediately filled with tears and he gently grabbed her hand. She whimpered and flinched but he guided her hand to his cheek.

Her fingers rested there for a moment as the tears once again spilled over her lashes. "Damon," she whispered, her finger tips barely grazing the gash above his eyes that he was sure was purple by now.

His throat nearly closed up at her gentle touch. "I'm so sorry Elena," he whispered. "I wish I could take it back. Please forgive me."

A/N: So what did you think? I don't hate Stefan, so I wanted to give him some good points in this chapter to make up for… his assholeishness earlier. So yeppers, another cliffhanger.

Enjoy


	6. Chapter 6

So I realize a lot of people are confused. More will be revealed on Damon's statement in the next chapter, but I'm loving your guesses.

MydnytAngel


	7. Chapter 7

Elena's eyes clenched shut at the reminder of what happened between them but she tried to force those awful images away. Her eyes fluttered open with some effort as she took in the purple bruises on his chest and her fingers dropped from his face to gently feel his torso. "You're hurt," she said, softly. The torture he had endured to keep her safe, to keep them both safe, she'd never be able to forget that.

"Yeah," he said simply. "Come on. Let's get you in the shower so you can rest."

"Hurts to stand," she admitted softly as she stared at the black bath mat that they were sitting on. Her body felt like one big ache, any movement caused her some serious discomfort. She wouldn't be able to hide it from Damon.

Damon got to his feet and carefully helped her up as well. With an arm around her waist, he turned the taps on, filling the tub with warm water. They stood there in silence as his head rested against hers. Once the tub was almost full he shut the water off and glanced down at her. "We gotta take this off," he said then sighed. "I can leave if you want."

In that moment Elena decided that she needed him here with her so they could work through what happened together. "I want you here," she said shaking her head as she stared at the water. "You should get cleaned up too."

"I will later," he said with shrug. "Once you're taken care of."

Tears nearly filled her eyes as at how selfless he was being and she chewed on her lower lip for a minute. "You could… the tub is big enough." She wanted to offer him the same comfort he was offering her. She didn't know how much she could help him, but she needed to try. She wanted him to know that she still trusted him, that she still loved him.

"Elena," he said with some effort. "That's the last thing you need right now. Especially from me."

"Damon, you didn't hurt me," she said, finally raising her eyes to his. "She hurt both of us in a sick way but I will _never_ blame you for what happened. Never." She tried to put as much conviction in her voice as she could.

"Oh Elena," he whispered, his head dropping. "What did I do to deserve this from you?"

She smiled a little. "Plenty," she said allowing her hands to move over his chest gently. "So join me?"

"If you want me to leave, just tell me okay?" he asked as he toed off his shoes.

Elena carefully peeled Stefan's jacket from her battered body as Damon settled himself in the large tub. She suppressed a groan of pain as her body was engulfed in agony. Slowly, she eased into the warm water, and settled herself carefully against his chest. "Okay?" she asked, not wanting to hurt him anymore then he was.

"I'm fine," he said softly as his hands rested on the sides of the tub.

Her eyes fluttered closed as she pulled her legs up against her chest. Silent tears slid down her cheeks as the nights events caught up with her. It didn't help when his arms closed around her and he whispered meaningless things in her ear.

"It'll be okay Elena," he said, softly before lifting his wrist to his mouth to pierce his flesh. "Here," he offered. "It'll make the pain go away and help you heal."

Elena didn't bother to resist as her mouth latched on the wound. It tasted sweet and rich as it coursed down her throat and she licked the wound clean as it healed on its own. "Thank you," she said. He pressed a kiss to her hair, giving her the motivation she needed as she sat up slightly so she could turn a little in the tub and press her lips against his softly.

He groaned and pushed her away. "No Elena," he said softly. "This is not what you need right now."

"How do you know what I need?" she asked angrily. "I have my own mind Damon and I'm not going to let you think for me."

"That's not what I meant," he said as he clenched his jaw. "I just… now's not the time."

"What else do I need to do to prove to you that I love you?" she asked, getting out of the tub. Damon's blood had helped her a lot, she could at least move without her body feeling like it was on fire. She grabbed a towel and tied it around her chest as she stared down at his confused face. "Katherine made you rape me Damon," she nearly whispered, and she hated the broken look that returned to his face. "And I know I should be pushing you away and be afraid of you, but I'm not. You're the only one I want with me. Okay? I know…" she paused as she folded her arms. "I can see how bad you feel about what happened but you had no control of it. She was going to kill me if you didn't do what she said. She was probably going to kill us anyway if Bonnie hadn't gotten there." She rubbed her tired face. "So when is it going to be enough for you?"

Damon rose from the tub as well, the water dripping from his body as he stepped over the sides. "You have no idea what is going inside my head Elena," he growled. "How hard it is for me to be in the same room with you right now after what I did. So don't pretend that you understand, because you don't. You don't have to work for everything in your life. I do. I have to fight against all my instincts, against everything that I've taught myself over the last century, just so I can be with you, because I love you. And Katherine ripped that all away from me."

Tears streamed down Elena's face as she slid her arms around his waist, not caring how angry he was. "But I'm here," she whispered. "I'm not broken, I'm not hurt, and I'm not running. It means everything in the world to me that you've changed Damon. And I'm trying to show you, but I can't do much if you don't even let me kiss you. We can make this all better, it doesn't have to hurt to be this to each other. I don't want it to hurt."

Suddenly, his arms were around her and his lips were smashed against hers. His hand tangled in her long, damp tresses as her hands settled at his sides. He pulled back after a minute so she could breathe. "How was that?" he asked.

"Mind blowing," she whispered.

"I'm sorry Elena," he said, for what felt like the millionth time tonight. "I just don't want to mess this up. You know that I'm not used to this… personal space stuff, and you have reservations about… us together, and I don't want to do anything to drive you away."

Elena moved her hands around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder. "It's new for me too," she said. "And we haven't had a smooth start. But I need you, Damon. We're made for each other, I've never… our connection is so strong, I can't stand to be away from you. I don't plan on keeping us a secret, you don't have to be afraid to be with me."

"It feels like a dream," he said as he rested his cheek against her hair. "I've never had anyone like you in my life Elena. I've never had someone care about me like this. You have no idea how important you are to me." He pressed a kiss to her temple. "Come on, you should get some rest."

"We both should," she corrected. "Come on." She gripped his hand and headed to his bed. "I'm already feeling a lot better. You're blood really helped."

"Good," he said, softly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Elena's eyes darkened as she stared at his naked body and she slowly moved to stand in front of him, still wrapped in a towel. His eyes slowly traveled up to meet hers and she leaned down to kiss him softly. "I love you," she whispered. Sleeping was the last thing on her mind right now, she just wanted… needed to be with him, to make all the painful memories of the night to go away.

Damon swallowed as his hands rested on her hips. "I love you too sweetheart," he said, his lips curving up a little.

Elena lowered her lips to his once again, more passionately as her hands tangled in his hair.

Damon pulled away from her sinful lips as he stared up at her."Elena, you're killing me here."

"I'm sorry," she said. "But I'm not tired."

He gently pushed her away and rose to his feet before crossing the room to lock his door. "Don't you think we should wait?" he asked, but she shook her head and he closed the distance between them, searching her eyes for any hesitation but he found none. He could smell her desire in the air as he lowered his lips to hers, taking control of the situation. His hands loosened the towel, exposing her slender body to his gaze. He smiled as she shivered when his hands moved over her bare flesh, lifting her in his arms to carry her to the bed. "You're going to feel so good," he whispered, his body moving over hers. Instinctivally, she spread her legs and lifted her hips, already eager for him, but he held her hips still. "Not yet," he said. "There's no rush. Not tonight." His large hands closed over her breasts, pinching her nipples softly, testing her reaction before his lips closed over the left one.

Elena gasped as shocks spread straight to her core. "Oh god," she said, her head thrashing against the pillow. "What are you doing to me?"

"Loving you," he said simply. His fingers moved lower, teasing her sensitive lips that were already slick. "So wet for me," he said with a smirk as he slid a finger into her tight sheath slowly, testing any injuries she may have suffered earlier. She crooned softly and he carefully added a second finger. "Okay?" he asked, kissing her cheek.

Elena nodded. "Please, don't stop," she whispered, her hands twisting in the bed sheets.

Damon used his free hand to gasp one of hers. "I'm going to show you so many new things sweetheart," he said guiding her hand to her breast. He closed his hand over hers, molding it to her flesh. "You just have to trust me."

"I do," she said instantly.

"Good," he said, inserting a third finger. "God, you're so tight." He was pleased to know she didn't sleep with Stefan a lot, but he pushed those thoughts away as quickly as they came. He pumped his fingers at a steady pace, testing her out, smiling when he found her sweet spot.

"Damon," she whimpered, trying to pull him closer to her as she lifted her knees.

His fingers increased their speed and he could see her struggling for control. "It's alright baby," he said, nipping her collar bone. "I want you to cum for me."

"I can't," she nearly sobbed.

"Nonsense," he said his fingers finding her bundle of nerves before pinching and twisting it roughly. His mouth covered hers, swallowing her scream of ecstacy as her hips forcefully rose to meet his fingers. He pulled back to let her breath, as her limbs became jelly around him.

"I'm not done with you yet," he said. "Be right back."

She stared at his back as he headed into the bathroom and she climbed out of the bed on shaky legs. Heading over to the dresser she stared at her red flesh with a smile as she ran a brush through her sex touseled hair. "Mmm," she said as his arms came around her waist and she put the brush down.

"My sweet Elena," he murmured against her neck as his fingers once again found the apex of her thighs. "Always ready for me." He tenderly stroked front to back. "No tears or anything."

"I told you," she said, turning her head toward him as her hand came up to cradle his cheek. "It didn't hurt. You could never hurt me Damon."

Damon removed his fingers and just held her against him. "No I never could," he said, resting his chin on her shoulder as he stared at them in the mirror.

Elena's hands closed over his were they rested against her stomach. "I don't want this to be a cloud over us," she whispered. "I want you just forge… can you do that too?"

Damon turned his face into her neck and inhaled her scent. "I promise you'll forget," he vowed.

Elena smiled a little and tilted her head. "You can have some if you want."

"I fed earlier," he said, stroking the patch of skin above her belly button. "I can wait a bit longer."

"Do you think I taste bad?" she asked shyly.

Damon chuckled and his hands spread her thighs once more, steering her from the conversation. "Absolutely not," he said, sliding two fingers into her tight channel. She made a soft comment about loving his fingers which made him swell with male pride. "I'm sure do," he said, using his free to push her back forward. "Hold onto the dresser baby." His smooth hands cupped the globes of her ass as she bent over. He guided his swollen head to her dripping center, before slamming into her with a quick thrust.

Elena cried out in pleasure as her fingers whitened. "Damon," she whispered. "Please."

The last bit of his control had slipped at this point as he slammed into her a bruising pace. Her inner walls clenched around him, causing him to growl deep in his chest as he slammed into her a final time. His strong arms slid around her waist, he unnecessarily panted heavily. "My god, Elena," he said, slowly pulling himself from her warm body. "You okay?"

"Hmm," she said in a daze. "I can't feel anything but I'm… wonderful."

He lifted her in his arms, moving back over to their bed. He slid them under the covers, holding her against his body. "You should definitely rest now," he said, kissing her forehead.

"Was I okay?" she asked, shyly.

His brow creased as he lifted her gaze. "You were amazing," he said. "You are amazing. In everything that you do. I wouldn't trade you for anything."

A tired smile curved on her lips. "I love you," she said softly.

"I love you too Elena," he said, his arms wrapping tightly around her.

Yep that's the end. I hope you were all satisfied with it. I may or may not write a sequel, but I think it stands well on its own. Hope to see good reviews.


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